Thread: Olive tree worth harvesting?

Olive is a favourite with some turners I know, esp. pen turners, as it can have some glorious colour to it. (Similar to Camphour Laurel. Some are "WOOT!" whilst others are "meh! Boring.")

I'd try a few test cuts just to see what's what.

Even if you fell it and discover there's no decent boards there, you should be able to cover your costs with a few turning blanks. And maybe a few dozen pen blanks from any scraps.

Olive is certainly worth keeping, beautiful for turning, carving, box making etc etc. The best wood is often the roots/root ball though, so don't leave the stump to rot, dig it up.

Alrighty then...it's a keeper (unless it's rubbish on the inside). Thanks for the info chaps

Now I'd really love to take the trunk and rootball too but it's a neighbour's tree and he wants the stump left high so he can put a bird house or some such profanity on it.

So my thinking here is (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that if I bandsaw cut mostly 25mm boards (including the heart), that would take care of mostly box makers (me), but also pen turners when it's dried and dressed. And I could get some thinner dedicated pen blank boards (suggestions on green thickness for these?) from around the outside/sap woodish area or from the smaller parts of the limbs...if I don't decide just to do some little logs for things bigger than pens (ie: goblets).

If any good comes of this I may well follow up with some piccies and/or some timber for sale/swap/gift.

Originally Posted by RedShirtGuy

A.... it's a neighbour's tree and he wants the stump left high so he can put a bird house or some such profanity on it...

Tell him it will only attract white ants and fall down later with his birdcage attached (ok exaggerating just a smidge ), and, it would be much better to remove it and then use the hole in the ground for a decent foundation for something more substantial as a post like concrete . You'd be happy to help and then take away all that rubbish

Branches look great sliced as oyster veneer.IMG_6810.JPG
Drying can be a problem especially with the more figured heart wood.
It also smells fantastic when turning - a meal in itself.

And don't forget saw handles to lol

Hi there,

For what its worth, a few bits of wild olive that i found on the side of the road last year and just machined them up the other day. Not sure if the tree you have is of the same species but i can imagine that it would have similar grain. The trunk would be best because it will contain more heartwood. Will make some nice drawer fronts i'm thinking!

20140419_092551.jpg